Friday 18 September 2015 23:28, UK
Frustrated Birmingham boss Gary Rowett hit out at the performance of referee Keith Stroud after a controversial penalty cost his side in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich.
Birmingham took a surprise 22nd-minute lead at Portman Road after David Cotterill rifled a fierce shot beyond Ipswich goalkeeper Dean Gerken.
But the home side only had to wait 10 minutes to celebrate an equaliser, even if the nature of the goal was hotly contested.
An incredible 60-yard run by Ainsley Maitland-Niles ended with the Arsenal loanee going down under the challenge of Jonathan Spector. Stroud had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Brett Pitman made no mistake with a clinical spot-kick.
The draw left Rowett questioning the penalty decision while praising the performance of his resilient side.
"I felt the penalty was soft," Rowett told Sky Sports after the game.
"I thought that Keith was 60 yards away, the linesman is 20 yards away. He said he didn't give it because he said he had a poor angle. I've been in the game a long time and I have never seen a penalty given for those types of challenges.
"I know people will say it is a foul if it is a different part of the pitch but it's not a controversial incident if it is a different part of the pitch so I have to say I thought it was incredibly soft and it did take me a while to calm down.
"If no one appeals for it, if the balls goes through to [goalkeeper] Tomasz Kuszczak, they are both sliding in, then why would you give it? You would just use common sense and not give it because it is just too controversial to do that and I think everyone would agree that it wasn't a penalty."
Rowett did praise his side's resilience, however, as they defended well under heavy second-half pressure from Ipswich.
"I think that's as good a point as we've got all season; I'm disappointed we've ended up having to hold on for a point rather than holding on for a win."
Once parity was restored before the interval, the second half was all about missed opportunities, largely from the home side.
But after seeing Stephen Gleeson fire just wide for Birmingham late on, Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy said: "When it looks like you are not going to score, the most important thing is not to concede.
"We have a great bunch of lads who will always keep going and we tried to win it in the second half."
On the penalty, McCarthy added: "I did think it was a strange decision when I first saw it, but looking at it after the game I think the referee has got it right.
"Harsh as it may seem to them (Birmingham), it was the momentum that caused the foul. If it had been outside the box or on the half-way line, the foul would have been given. It shouldn't be any different in the area."
